Infant injection hospital bill query

[hello55060]

I had to take my son to the hospital today for an injection as he needed top up for some as he just 6 months old. It the first time I take my son to hospital in Thailand and am a bit confused with the bill. 

 

On the bill there are 4 different charges

 

Outpatient medication 

Medical supplies 

Service OPD charge 

Outpatient care 

 

I understand the outpatient medication ( the Injection cost) and the medical supplies even though they didn't give any medicine but that just 10 baht so don't care but the other 2 I don't know?

Service OPD

Outpatient care 

 

One of these will be for the doctor to stick the needle in my son for 5 seconds but what is the other charge is the doctor the service OPD charge  or outpatient care charge ? If so what is the other charge I don't quite understand. I don't mind paying for an injection but when there all these other fees and one 2170 baht injection becomes 3000 I would at least like to know what these fees are . 

 

in Singapore where I work or even my home country England it wouldn't even cost that much to have a single injection top up and when you try to ask how much before they don't tell you or can't give you a price only after its done  and then you are at their mercy.

 

I don't have a problem paying for my son health I just want to make sure all these charges are the normal in Thailand and I can expect them everytime I go to hospital here ? The OPD charge and outpatient care charge . Sorry, I never really had to go hospital for myself before so not so experienced with hospitals and charges .

[from the home of CC]

why don't you complain to the authorities instead of on here?, it's a topic under discussion now by the government..

[WalkingOrders]

When you say injection top up do you mean a vaccination? I would assume you could go to a clinic, or public hosp, Perhaps at the most expensive of private hosp that price is ok  but it sounds very high.

[hello55060]

30 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

When you say injection top up do you mean a vaccination? I would assume you could go to a clinic, or public hosp, Perhaps at the most expensive of private hosp that price is ok  but it sounds very high.

Yes just a single vaccination jab . It was done ib a hospital on the Rama 4 road, the name is theptarin hospital. I just searched on Google maps for hospitals nearby and it had decent reviews . Are there any clinics or public hospitals that you could recommend within 10km of thonglor I can try them next time? Thanks 

 

And to the above poster, it wasn't a massive complaint or rant.  I just wanted to find out if other non Thai nationals / foreigners who go to the hospital have these additional charges everytime they go and that they are standard practice in Thailand service OPD charge and outpatient care charge even just for a jab. 

Edited June 17, 2019 by hello55060
Z

[CMoldie]

The time to ask is before you pay the bill, not after. When they say how much you owe, ask to see a breakdown before you pay and ask for an explanation of anything you do not understand.

 

I can't make head or tail of that bill. "Medical supplies" is usually syringe, needle etc. but that seems to have been included in one of the others, because 10 baht is not enough for these. It would about cover a cotton wool swab.

[Sheryl]

I also do not really understand the bill. It is common in Thailand to attach a hospital surcharge on top of the consultation or service fee. Possibly that is the 280 or the 500 and the other the fee for the injection but if so:

 

500 is more than one would expect for Hospital surcharge and also more than one would expect for injection unless you first saw a doctor who prescribed it.

 

The vaccine cost also seems high though cannot really say without knowing what the vaccine was.

 

There are loads of government hospitals within 10 km of Thonglor inlcuding Chulalongkorn, Ramithodhi, Rajvithi etc but waits at all of them will be very long.

I would suggest next time Medcounsult asia clinic which is on Sukhumvit Soi 49 located in the Raquet club

 

https://www.medconsultasia.com/copy-of-travel-vaccinations

 

 

[macleans]

Outpatient medication = cost of vaccine

Medical supplies = probably cost of syringe and needle

Service OPD charge = hospital fee or surcharge including the nurse's fee (the one that vaccinated your kid)

Outpatient care = doctor's consultation fee (obviously a doctor's order is needed before you can get a jab, and that brief chat with the doctor is considered a consultation)

 

The above are typical fees that Thai private hospitals charge patients, both farangs and Thai. I don't think you have been overcharged or subject to 2 tiered pricing.

[CLS]

If you think it’s too high you can report here:

Hotline 1569

Internal Trade Department’s hotline For Hospital Overpriced Bills


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[hello55060]

Thanks for all the replies . I don't think the cost is high enough to complain to authorities, just enough to make a post in here lol. it's not like I will get my money back even I did, and to be fair to them 

they did what they were paid to do so no complaints there, was just a bit puzzled with the fees. But now that has been explained I won't be shocked by my next visit to the hospital.

 

I will say though that the doctor fee is a bit of a joke considering I had my sons vaccination booklet with me and knew what I wanted. I just told the doctor I want to do this Injection my son needed a booster for . when I arrived I went to the main reception, they wanted my sons passport and vaccination book,  I filled in a form then was taken to another part of the hospital where they deal with infants . Then inside this department I have to talk to another lady well actually it was a ladyboy sort on the desk like reception of the child department.  She asks to see the vaccination book also, which the previous lady already did for 10 minutes ... Waste of time . Then we were told to wait for the docotor, so we see the doctor and then she goes through the book again, the 3rd different person! Why they have to have 3 different people looking at it I don't know . Maybe they have to do something to keep themselves busy. Anyway so as said earlier I just tell the doctor what injection I want to do today it's not like she had to work out anything, we saw the nurse a couple minutes later, then after we're kindly escorted back to the main bit to the cashier and billing place haha, wonder if they do this to stop people doing runners lol

 

I will just take it as another learning experience in Thailand  and next time I will have a look at the place recommended by Sheryl (thanks!). 

[scorecard]

My Thai son and his wife are very serious to keep all the vaccinations well up to date for their 3 kids.

 

They insist on talking to a doctor rather than discuss with nursing staff, and they ask the doctor to write on a separate  slip the names of the next 2 or 3 vaccinations / boosters coming up and the date by which the injection should be given. They have learned to ask the doctor for these 'lists' then check with the nursing staff for the same list. Several times there has been conflict across the 2 lists, so son and his wife insist on further discussion with the doctor, and always silly excuses and 'mai phen rai - never mind, It's OK' which annoys the hell out of my son and his wife and son then confronts the staff for a complete specific answer.

 

They also insist on see the vaccination serum vial before the injection and twice there have been mistakes, making son and his wife even more serious to check the vaccine name on the vial compared to what the doctor has instructed. 

 

My son says he's heard from many parents about similar mistakes. 

 

 

[Sheryl]

If you saw a doctor then yes the 500 baht charge is doctor fee. Most hospitals would label it as such and list Dr name.

 

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[dddave]

21 hours ago, hello55060 said:

Yes just a single vaccination jab . It was done ib a hospital on the Rama 4 road, the name is theptarin hospital. I just searched on Google maps for hospitals nearby and it had decent reviews . Are there any clinics or public hospitals that you could recommend within 10km of thonglor I can try them next time? Thanks 

 

And to the above poster, it wasn't a massive complaint or rant.  I just wanted to find out if other non Thai nationals / foreigners who go to the hospital have these additional charges everytime they go and that they are standard practice in Thailand service OPD charge and outpatient care charge even just for a jab. 

Bangkok Christian Hospital on Silom (Sala Daeng BTS)  Older facility, great staff, easy walk-in service and reasonable prices.

Edited June 18, 2019 by dddave